Keyboard player Franny Griffiths joined the line-up a year later, and the band signed to Gut Records in 1995, eventually rising to prominence with hit singles such as "Female of the Species", "Me and You Versus the World", "Neighbourhood", "Avenging Angels" and "The Ballad of Tom Jones", the latter a duet with Cerys Matthews of Catatonia.

The group were also noted for their deliberately tongue-in-cheek, dark humoured lyrics inspired by films, which frequently deal with topics such as serial killers, failed relationships, social outcasts, and mental illness.

The band disbanded in 2005, following low sales and a lukewarm reception to their fourth album Suburban Rock 'n' Roll (2004), which was nonetheless acclaimed by fans.

After The Australians split in 1992, the pair started a new band called The Substitutes (after the song by The Who), with Murphy playing guitar and Scott filling the role of bassist.

Murphy would rename the band Space after the working title for the song "My Own Dream" by The Real People, and performed their first gig under the name on 15 May 1992 at The Picket in Liverpool.

In 1994, Franny Griffiths, who had previously played with Scott in Hello Sunset and The Australians, was brought in to join them on keyboards and electronics, and would eventually establish their distinct style.

The line-up increased with the addition of bassist/multi-instrumentalist Yorkie – who started working with the band years before their success with Spiders – in late 1996, so that Scott could concentrate more on vocals and guitar.

The new record, entitled Tin Planet, was a more mature, focused release than Spiders and was issued in spring 1998, hitting number three in the UK Albums Chart.

Like its predecessor, it became a success, but it did upset some fans due to its more softer, pop-friendly songs and the lack of the much more aggressive tracks found on Spiders.

[citation needed] In late 1998, for a Honda advertisement, Space recorded a version of The Animals' "We Gotta Get out of This Place", which was featured on The Bad Days EP.

Hartley, who plays bass, also produces for the band, along with other Antipop Records acts such as Metro Manila Aide, The Dead Class, The Temps and Fraktures.

[citation needed] Franny Griffiths was with Murphy and Vinnie Camilleri (who played guitar for The Beatles Pre- Ringo drummer Pete Best) with their band Dust, and also making R&B under the name Subway Showdown, while Yorkie is producing for Shack.

After two years in the making (which were disrupted by Murphy's second departure), the album was eventually released in March 2014, preceded by the lead single "Fortune Teller".

[8] In September 2022, the band announced a 25th anniversary tour for Spiders and Tin Planet in 2023, playing both albums in their entirety, and that Murphy would rejoin them for those shows.

Space's sound is noted for its highly eclectic and cinematic nature, which, according to Scouse Pop author Paul Skillen, "challenges convention in an industry that likes to categorize artists into marketable genres".

[11] Their embrace of synthesizers and state-of-the-art recording techniques such as looping, sampling, and beats derived from hip hop and dance music helped them stand out from other Liverpool bands of the time, who tended towards more 'traditional' and 'authentic' 1960s-inspired guitar pop.

[12] Journalist Jennifer Blake wrote that "Space are from Liverpool, but any attempts to cast the band under the somewhat meaningless title of 'Britpop' should be quickly dismissed.

In an interview with Stuart Maconie, frontman Tommy Scott stated the motivation for his songwriting is inspired more by movies and television rather than other musicians: "I'm into films and telly.

He also stated that, due to the tongue-in-cheek, campy nature of their lyrics, he would get defensive whenever critics would dismiss them as "quirky" or as a novelty act: "I used to be called wacky.